


VariCassTober 2019

by TheOfficialKai517



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: And Cass is His Brave Warrior, F/M, In Which Varian Is a Scaredy-Cat, VariCassTober, VariCassTober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-11-09 02:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 12,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20846096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOfficialKai517/pseuds/TheOfficialKai517
Summary: October prompts for Co-Ladies-In-Waiting.





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts set up by ogcandichan on Tumblr. Event now hosted by chiscribbs.
> 
> Of course, Varian is 18+ in all of these.

**Day One: Holding Hands at Night**

_This piece takes place somewhere in the middle of the chapter that I am currently writing for Step by Step, chapter two._

* * *

It was dark outside. Darker than Varian had ever really remembered it being before. Then again, he hadn't been outside much in the last few years. Or _ever,_ really. Varian preferred the indoors, where he could perform his experiments in almost-complete peace and quiet. Occasionally, he would go outside at night to go stargazing. But not terribly often.

Tonight, there were no stars. There was no moon, either. It was pitch-black.

He fumbled around, trying to find something, _anything_, that could provide him with at least a little bit of light. His elbow accidentally jammed into something.

"Okay. _Ow."_

Make that some_one._

A match was struck in front of him, partially illuminating the face of Cassandra. She used the flame from the match to light the lantern in her hand, providing much better lighting for the area.

"Oh, god... Cass, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you."

Cass rolled her eyes, though there was a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. "I know you didn't. It just surprised me."

"It's dark!" he retorted, "I can't see _anything!"_

"I know that, too," she responded coolly, "but you're going to have to get used to a little bit of darkness for now. Until we get past the bridge, there's a fairly good chance that we'll be caught if someone sees the light of this lantern."

Varian gulped back but nodded nonetheless. "Alright. Fine. I... I can handle that."

_I think._

Cass nodded her affirmation and held the lantern up to her face. She blew out the flame, again plunging the two of them into complete and utter darkness.

Varian immediately fumbled around again, finding her hand. He took it, holding it tightly. He trusted her to keep him safe, and to not lead him astray even in the midst of the darkest night that he had faced.

"Varian."

"Yes?"

Cassandra sighed a little. "... Never mind."

She knew that this wasn't exactly his element. She would just have to accept her fate.


	2. BONUS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd do the bonus as soon as I possibly could.

**BONUS: Clown Encounter**

* * *

"I thought that Ulf was a mime," Varian said, "or, at the very least, that he never _spoke."_

Cassandra raised an eyebrow but didn't turn to look at Varian. "Yeah. Both of those statements are true."

"Then why...?"

Cass turned to see whatever it was that was bothering Varian. There, standing at another market stall, was someone that looked almost exactly like Ulf. The mime make-up was replaced with that belonging to clowns, and the man wore a brightly multi-colored wig. He was talking to the merchant who ran the stall.

She didn't know Ulf that well, but she knew enough to be able to tell two things: one being that all of that was completely out of character for Rapunzel's thug friend, and two being that it definitely _wasn't_ him. Though the resemblance was quite uncanny.

She quickly finished making her purchase before taking Varian's hand and practically dragging him to the other stall. She reached out to tap the Ulf look-alike on the shoulder.

"Yes?"

The man turned to face them, and Varian immediately began shaking. He had never been one for... Well, for anyone whose occupation required a lot of white makeup. Clowns. Mimes. Cass rolled her eyes but began to speak anyways.

"We couldn't help but notice that you look like a friend of ours," she said.

Varian's voice rose high in pitch as he chimed in: "He's a mime."

The clown raised an eyebrow. "Ulf?"

Cass nodded. "Yes, Ulf. Do you know him?"

"Ulf is my brother," the clown said, "I'm Bubs."

"Well, what are you doing here, Bubs?"

"Looking for Ulf," he said simply, "do you know where I can find him?"

Cass nodded again. "Yeah. He should be inside the palace right now."

"Thank you."

With that, Bubs turned to leave. Cass turned to face Varian, who was still deathly pale and shaking.

"See?" she asked, "that wasn't so bad now, was it?"

"Speak for yourself!"

She laughed softly, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "Let's go home."

"That sounds like a plan I can get down with." 


	3. Day Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna give Cass some outfit liberties that likely didn't exist back then? Maybe?  
I just want her to be cozy, okay?

**Day Two: Fall Festival**

* * *

Once every year, Old Corona was full of life and laughter. A lot of it. The sudden joy and life that came every year with the Harvest Festival never ceased to amaze Varian. Were these seriously the same people who were so dull and boring every other day? He hardly believed it.

But still, it was always nice to get to celebrate something: the end of the harvest. Finally, everyone's hard work had been completed, and they were allowed to relax and have some fun.

This year, though... This year, things were a little different. For starters, Varian now had a girlfriend. He and Cassandra had been going steady for a little less than a year at that point, and he was excited to _finally_ introduce her to some of the traditions that he had grown up with.

"Someone's coming up the road," he heard someone say, "some woman or other."

Varian looked up to see Cass, walking alongside Fidella. He smiled to himself before turning to the original speaker. "Don't worry. It's just Cassie."

A raised eyebrow, but no response.

Finally, Cassandra made it to where Varian was standing. His breath caught in his throat. She looked absolutely _beautiful,_ wearing a cozy-looking knitted sweater and leggings. She also wore black boots.

"Hey, Varian."

He grinned. "Hey, Cassie. Welcome to the Harvest Festival."

She chuckled a little before taking his hand in hers. "Can we explore a little? Get a bit of a sneak peek?"

Varian smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

Cassandra was the life of the Festival. The villagers seemed to truly enjoy her, and she seemed to like them well enough in return. That was pretty much all that Varian could ask for.

They darted from activity to activity, Cass always leading the way.

Finally, it was time for Varian's favorite time of the festival: the bonfire. A great fire set up in the middle of the village, around which everyone gathered. There was a large dance around it, and a bunch of socializing between the people. The music was always lively, as were all of the people.

Varian looked at Cass, smiling. "May I have this dance?"

Cass chuckled. "Sure."

Varian took her hand and led her towards the center of the village, closer to the fire. Near the other people.

And they began to dance.


	4. Day Three

**Day Three: Playing a <strike>Creepy</strike> Video Game**

_Erm... I don't know many creepy video games, and the few that I do know, I don't know much about. So... Competetive Cassarian playing the Wii._

_Corona Life AU.  
_

* * *

Varian wound up before swinging his arm and releasing the button. The ball rolled down the lane at a crazy speed... And completely missed the final two pins.

"Ha!" Cass cried out triumphantly, "I win!"

Varian stuck his tongue out at her. "I'll beat you one of these days, Cassie."

She laughed. "You keep telling yourself that."

Varian exited to the game's menu and quickly selected tennis. As fast-paced as the game was, he was fairly good at it. After all, it was all angles. Whereas Cass... She was quick, but impulsive and reckless at times. The amount of times that he had kicked her butt at this game was nearly insurmountable.

Cassandra groaned. "Not this one again."

Varian smirked. "I need a little taste of victory, Cassie."

"_I'll beat you one of these days,"_ she said, mocking his words from earlier, "just you wait, Varian. Someday, you're going to blink and see _my_ name in the high score area."

"Sure, sure," he laughed, "you keep telling yourself that."

He tried to keep a serious face but couldn't. It was stupid, and ludicrous. But he didn't mind it one bit. It was time spent with his girlfriend. And that was all that mattered.


	5. Day Four

**Day Four: Watching a Scary Movie**

* * *

Varian was seriously regretting his decision to join Cassandra as she watched the movie that she had rented out. He should have realized that she wasn't going to check out something of _his_ taste, even remotely... But it was too late to go back now. She had given him so many opportunities to turn back, to quite, and he had decided not to take them.

He was a fool.

"Don't..." he began.

A scream erupted on-screen, and he cringed.

"... Go in there."

Cass laughed, pausing the movie. "Varian, seriously. You don't have to watch this if you don't want to... I know you don't like horror. Or blood. Or guts and gore."

Varian shook his head. No. He didn't care for the movie, true, but he _did_ care for someone who did enjoy such genres. And all he wanted to do was spend time with _her, _even if it meant stepping out of his comfort zone for two hours or so.

"I'm staying right here, Cassie."

Cass smiled a little before playing it again. She didn't want to torture her poor boyfriend, but she _did _want to finish the film... And besides, Varian could easily be cuddled if he got scared. And she knew for a fact that neither of them would really mind that. Not at all.


	6. Day Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, I'm going to lag behind on weekends this month. Sorry.
> 
> Also, this one is... Kind of crud. Sorry.

**Day Five: Halloween/Costume Party**

_Set within my Corona Life canon._

* * *

Corona Labs was bustling with energy. Chaotic energy that had been pent up within its workers for the past year or so, if Varian had to take a stab. There wasn't much place for anyone to goof off or mess up here. Not within the lab, with a bunch of volatile chemicals laying around. But it was one of the two or three times a year where nobody had to go into the break room in order to release their energy.

It was _that_ time of year, "Spooky Season," as Cass enjoyed calling it. And it was time for the employees' Halloween party.

As always, the employees themselves were invited (no kidding), as were any family or friends that they may have. So, of course, Varian brought Cassandra, as he did every year.

Cass took a bite of pie, studying Varian's coworkers. Every year with the party, there was a costume party, so everyone was dressed up. It wasn't like she was any exception. Varian had managed to convince her, yet again, to do one of those couples' costumes things.

_One of these years, I'm seriously going to put my foot down._

One of these years.

It had already been several years since Varian had started working at Corona Labs, and every year, she told herself that. She never went through with it. _Never._

Varian sidled up to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Hello, milady."

She groaned good-naturedly, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Varian, Cassandra!"

They both looked up to see Marcus, Varian's boss.

"Marcus," Cass greeted him with a smile, "how have you been?"

"Good, thank you. How about you? And the kids?"

Cass smiled a little, mind traveling to their four young children at home. "We're all doing just fine, thank you."

Before the conversation could go any further, though, another worker stood near the front of the room. "If I may have your attention, it's time for the announcement of the winners of this year's costume contest."

Cass and Varian honestly couldn't care less. Though they'd never won in either category-- separate _or_ couples' costume-- they didn't really care. It was just a silly competition, and even Cass didn't feel the competitive spirit when it came to this.

"For the solo costume... John McDoon."

A man dressed as a farm animal-- an ox, perhaps?-- went up front to accept the gift card award.

"For couples' costumes... Varian and Cassandra Vatter."

Cass froze. Crud. Of all the days for her to be dressed up as a cavewoman... And Varian, a caveman.

"C'mon, Cassie," Varian said, gently squeezing her hand, "these people already saw us. What harm could it do to just... Go up to the podium?"

Cass sighed. "Fine."


	7. Day Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually been looking for an excuse to write this... I started a draft like this several years ago, and now I have reason to post it!!!
> 
> I'm posting days 5 and 7 later. Sorry for the odd delay.

**Day Six: Bubble, Bubble, Boil and Trouble - one of Varian's concoctions goes awry**

* * *

The last thing Cassandra remembered was the sound, loud and booming like a cannon. And then... Nothing.

Not until her eyes fluttered open, and she saw several concerned faces hovering over her. One of the faces, the eldest of the group, grinned when he saw her eyes open.

"Cassie!" he exclaimed happily, "you're... You're okay!"

Cass blinked. "I... Yeah, I think I am."

She didn't recognize this man, or any of the other faces that surrounded her. She didn't know why the man was calling her "Cassie," though she could only assume that it was her name. But why couldn't she remember details like that?

The man frowned suddenly, looking more concerned than he had before. "Cassandra... Are you alright?"

Even the other people-- two young girls and one young boy-- looked confused. Just as confused as Cass felt. (There was another young child, an infant, snuggled in the man's arms. She was too young to express much confusion or concern like her older siblings).

"I... I don't recognize you," she admitted, "or any of these people. I... I feel like I should."

"God... Oh, god..."

Cassandra blinked. "What?"

"I messed up. Horribly."

Of course he did. What else was there for him to do but mess up? And now... It seemed that he had erased his own wife's memory. She didn't recognize him, she didn't recognize their _children..._

Cass crossed her arms. She didn't know why, but she felt that this was almost a normal occurrence-- not the part where she got amnesia of sorts, but the part where this man flubbed up-- and that it was her job to chastise him. And _then_ help him make sure that he fixed what he'd done wrong.

"Listen..."

"Varian," the man said helpfully, "my... My name's Varian."

"Listen, _Varian,"_ she tried again, "I... I don't know _who _you are, or what your relation is to me, but... I'm kind of getting the feeling that this isn't the first time you've 'messed up.'"

Varian snorted. "You can say _that_ again. I'm so sorry, milady... I'll do everything I can to fix it."

_And I won't rest until I do._

He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Are you... Are you okay with the kids until I can figure something out? Or do you need me to find some other solution?"

_The kids._ The way he said it made it sound like... Like the children were _theirs, _collectively. This man must've been something else, to get her to have not just one, but _four_ children with him.

"I... I think I'll be fine with them," she said after a moment, "just... Introduce us quickly?"

Varian laughed a little. "That one's Trystan. She's our oldest. Then there's Jax and Journey here; they're our twins. And this little one"-- he lifted the baby so she could see better-- "is Katia."

"Thank you," Cass said, gently taking baby Katia from Varian's arms.

Varian nodded. "Anytime. And don't worry; I'm going to fix this, Cassie. I promise."

Cassandra smiled a little. She had no doubt that he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to write a part two to this! More than likely, I'm going to create a new work with this as the first chapter, and then add the next part as the next chapter. So... Keep your eyes peeled.


	8. Day Seven

**Day Seven: Shopping for Halloween Candy and/or Decorations**

_I'm imagining this as, like, one of those giant candy stores where you can buy separate candy or candy in a bunch of packs._

* * *

Cassandra looked at Varian incredulously. "Do I even want to ask?"

"Cassie," he said simply, "we're in our own house now. Kids are gonna be coming around trick-or-treating on Halloween night; we might as well get them something that'll make visiting our home worth it."

Cass sighed. "Do we _really_ have to do this?"

"Come on, Cassie," he replied, "it's just a little bit out of the budget, and it's for one night. I think that's a good price for being the cool new neighbors. Besides... If we have some left over, it's all yours."

That was the entire purpose of their visit to Uncle Monty's, actually. Cass was really craving sweets, against her own better judgment. As much as she loved her unborn child, she seriously cursed the fact that they made her want things that she normally never wanted before.

Cass sighed again, contemplating Varian's words. She _was_ tempted by it now, come to think of it.

"... Fine. But I can't say I'm happy about this. Or that I'll let you do this again in the future."

Varian chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. "Alright. It's a deal."


	9. Day Eight

**Day Eight: Terrifying Expedition With Friends**

_Haha... I'm no good at "scary." Seriously. So... I'm gonna go for a simple corn maze!  
**And even then, they're just... Waiting in line. Sorry.**_

* * *

"That's... Comforting."

Varian's words made Cassandra, Rapunzel, and Eugene turn around suddenly.

"What?"

Varian pointed at a large sign sitting just outside the entrance.

_Attention!  
_ _If you become lost or confused in the corn maze, stay calm! Don't panic, help is on the way. Every Thursday morning we send a rescue team into the maze to bring out everyone left from the previous weekend. They are highly trained and can usually locate over two-thirds of those left behind._

Cass snorted. "I think they're just joking, Varian."

"Still," he retorted, "that... It doesn't make it any less terrifying."

"C'mon, kid," Eugene said, ruffling Varian's hair, "it's just _corn."_

Varian pouted. "That stuff's several feet higher up than I am, and it's _abundant._"

Plus, it was actually taller than the others, too, which... Honestly didn't assure him.

Cassandra took his hand in hers, gently squeezing it. He smiled up at her.

"Alright. I... I guess I'm ready."


	10. Day Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I kind of forgot to work on this for the past few days? Sorry.
> 
> Also, this one is super-short. Again, sorry.

**Day Nine: Wearing Animal Ears**

* * *

"Varian?" Cassandra asked, sounding somewhat judgmental, "what. Is. This?"

The teenager had just handed her a headband topped with furry wolf ears. He was also wearing animal ears, but those of a rabbit.

"Just wear them, Cassie," he pleaded, "you said you're not dressing up for Halloween, but I don't think it'll be anywhere near as fun without you. So, a compromise. Something simple. You can be the fierce predator, and I am your innocent prey."

Cass snorted softly, taking the headband from him. "Fine. But just this once."

Varian grinned. "That's enough for me."


	11. Day Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties here by changing "fortune-teller" to "matchmaker" so that I could insert a character from the Leila Howland books. I feel that everyone's gonna go right for Canardist and Vigor, so... Yeah.
> 
> Also, don't judge if I get all this "aura" and "color" stuff wrong. This isn't my cup of tea.

**Day Ten: Visiting a Fortune-Teller**

* * *

Cassandra was a fiery orange. She had passion and drive, and it showed.

At least, that's what Miss Tasha said. Cass refused to believe in that type of junk. In fact, she was only in Miss Tasha's tent because her friends had basically dragged her there. Varian and Eugene and Rapunzel.

It was just as she remembered it, lute player and all.

"And... Oh, my!"

"What is it?" Rapunzel asked excitedly, beginning to bounce on the balls of her feet.

Miss Tasha smiled. "It seems that Miss Fiery-Temper here has already met her match. He has an electric blue aura. Kind and caring and determined."

She paused, as if listening to something. "Well, for the most part. Either way, he is currently in our midst."

Cass shook her head at everyone else when they looked at her inquisitively.

"Nope. I'm not buying it."

"He is still young, with a bright and inquisitive mind," Miss Tasha continued as if nobody had interrupted her, "and he places others before him."

Her sharp gaze turned to Varian. "You."

Varian didn't necessarily believe in this type of thing-- it was all borderline occult, which was close enough to magic for his taste-- but... That didn't change the fact that this strange woman had just said that his perfect match was the girl that he liked.

He smiled a little. "... Really?!"

Cass groaned. "Great, now you're filling the kid's mind with fantasies of an 'us.'"

She turned to leave the tent, but still she heard Miss Tasha's final words:

"You may not believe it now, but just you wait. It'll happen, you'll see."


	12. Day Eleven

**Day Eleven: Kissing/Making Out**

_Set in my Corona Life AU, three years after Corona High._

* * *

It took all day for anyone to get home. All day long, apartment 324 was empty, waiting for either of the two humans who lived there to arrive back home.

The woman was the first to return, a large duffel bag in her hands. She set it down on the table with a loud thud and went to sit on the couch and watch whatever she could find on TV before the man came home.

It didn't take long for him to return.

Cassandra could hear his footsteps long before they arrived at their door, and she could hear his mumbled curse as he dropped something while in search of the key. Finally, the door opened, and Varian entered the room, placing his stuff right next to Cass's bag.

"Sorry it took so long for me to get back," he apologized quickly, "I was helping Craig and Jonah with some chemistry work."

He crossed the room to kiss the top of her head. Cass moved her head so that she was looking upside-down at him.

"Var."

"Yeah?"

She reached up to pull his head down towards hers, kissing him. Varian was taken by surprise but quickly adjusted, kissing her back. When they separated, Cass smirked.

"C'mon," she said softly, patting the seat next to hers, "you know there's more where that came from."

Varian chuckled softly, moving to sit next to her. Once he was seated, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her again.

And again. And again.


	13. Day Twelve

**Day Twelve: Horse Drawn Hayride**

_Takes place during Day Two._

* * *

It was a chilly evening. But perfect for the harvest festival of Old Corona. The autumn chill had never deterred the villagers in the past, and it wasn't about to deter them this year.

A cart was positioned in the center of the village, ready for its next round of passengers. The cart was piled high with stacks of hay, perfect for sitting on... Until they poked into your skin, as Varian remembered. The step up to the cart was also formed with hay.

Varian offered Cass his hand as support while she got up onto the cart before climbing up himself, taking a seat next to her.

Cass smiled at him, putting her hand on top of his. He grinned back.

People loaded onto the cart until it was finally full, and then they took off. The ride went down the main road of Old Corona before heading out of the village and going through some of the freshly-harvested fields for a little while. Varian remembered having a lot of fun with it when he was younger, sitting on his father's lap and pointing out whatever caught his fancy.

As they reached the fields, Cassandra leaned in and pointed up towards the sky. "Look how clear it is. I can see all the stars."

The expression on her face was one of pure astonishment and amazement, and Varian couldn't help but chuckle softly. He could easily imagine how he had looked when he had been a young boy. Somewhat like that, he figured.

"Aren't they beautiful?" he agreed with a soft smile, "I always thought that these fields had the best view of the sky."

"Can't argue there."

But as Cassandra stared at the stars and the sky, Varian couldn't bring himself to look with her. Instead, he simply gazed at her, taking in the absolute beauty that was Cass. She shone brighter than any of the stars, he thought. She was far more beautiful than any ball of gaze thousands of millions of miles away could ever be.

He loved her. Deeply. And that wasn't going to change.


	14. Day Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first-ever gender-swap piece. I always knew what Cass's name was gonna be with gender-swap, but it was kinda hard to think of one for Varian. And then I remembered that I had a discarded name for my OC, his sister, that would do pretty well. (I hope).
> 
> **Please forgive me for this; I did write it at midnight last night.**

**Day Thirteen: Gender-Swapped!**

* * *

"Caspian!"

The man in question groaned. He knew that voice, knew the perky girl that it belonged to.

Vanessa.

Caspian didn't want to bother with her. Not today. He was sick and tired of people at this point, and that was including the more mellowed-out people.

"Caspian!"

He turned to face the girl. "Hey, Vanessa."

Vanessa was petite, with long black hair that had a single blue streak running down the front. Her wide blue eyes matched the streak. Her face was scattered with freckles.

"Hey... You okay?"

Caspian shrugged. He didn't want to say. In fact, he couldn't really tell. He was a little more used to hiding his feelings.

Vanessa didn't say anything more... But she _did_ sneak up behind Caspian and wrap her arms around him. Caspian didn't say or do anything. He just let the girl hold on to him.

They stayed like that for some time.


	15. Day Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, I'm finally caught up! Yay!

**Day Fourteen: Wearing Autumn-esque Apparel**

_Much like with the one from a few days ago: set three years after Corona High._

* * *

Cassandra studied herself in the mirror. Dark red coat and beanie. Dark jeans, black boots.

She smiled to herself. She didn't often care for appearance much, but... She couldn't hide the fact that she looked _good._ She knew that she'd get at least a comment from Varian about it.

Not that Cass dressed up nice just for _Varian._ She loved him, yes, but that never mattered to her. Not when it came to how she dressed, at least.

Just then, she could hear Varian walking from his room into the hallway, heading down into the kitchen area.

She checked herself one more time before heading to join him. She snuck up behind him, tackling him in a large hug from behind.

"Morning, Cassie."

She kissed his cheek, smiling. "Morning, Varian."

Cass let go and Varian turned to face her. Immediately, he noticed the outfit.

"Cassie... You look amazing," he murmured softly before adding, "as always."

She chuckled. "Thank you."

And then she studied his outfit. He was also wearing jeans, but with a long-sleeved white t-shirt and a striped sweater vest.

"You look good, too."

He chuckled good-naturedly. "That's it? I just look _good_?"

Cass smirked, playfully elbowing him in the ribs. "Maybe."

She moved to pour herself a cup of milk and get a bowl of cereal, grinning the entire time. It was moments like these that she treasured: moments where they could be themselves, no fear of judgment from anyone else. It was just the two of them.

Cass set her stuff down on the table and immediately felt Varian's arms slide around her waist, gently tugging her close to him. He buried his face in her shoulder.

"I love you, Cassie."

"And I love you, you dork."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just realized that tomorrow is "during their morning routines."  
Whoops.  
Good news is, I have more ideas for their mornings than what's here, so... Yay.


	16. Day Fifteen

**Day Fifteen: During Their Morning Routines**

* * *

Varian was up at the crack of dawn. He always was, if he wanted any chance of finishing his chores before he could work on his experiments and projects. At this point in his life, there was no going back: it was drilled into his very being now.

Though he had slowly learned how to stay in bed for a little longer each day, if only to stay near the warmth and beauty that was his sleeping wife.

Cassandra tended to wake up a little later than Varian did. Just twenty minutes later, but later nonetheless.

Every morning, she woke up at 7:30 on the dot, ready for a day of... Whatever it was that life threw her way that day. It wasn't terribly easy to make plans for certain, not when she was friends with Rapunzel. Even now, though she wasn't spending nearly as much time with the princess as she had in the past, she had no reason _not_ to wake up at that time each day.

It was just who they were now.

* * *

Varian opened his eyes and smiled down at Cassandra. She tended to fall asleep resting on his chest, but every morning he woke up to see her sprawled out across the bed. He reached to brush some of the hair out of her face, pressing a kiss to her forehead before swinging himself out of the bed, making sure to be as quiet as he possibly could as he quickly got dressed for the day.

Once he was dressed, he headed towards the restroom. He had twenty minutes to brush his teeth, do his hair, and use the restroom if he needed to. And start breakfast. He loved getting to make breakfast every morning.

This morning would be eggs, he decided. Scrambled. With orange juice.

And gosh, how he wished for bacon at the moment. That would've made a nice addition to their morning meal.

He got started on the food, and soon enough he heard Cass's footsteps from inside the bedroom. He recognized the sound of her tiredly padding over towards the closet, opening it. She often just selected whichever outfit she wanted or needed for the day, usually chosen the night before and resting on top of her things, and got dressed.

And then she would stretch and warm up. She was often done with this by 7:45, though she was never really awake even then.

She never truly woke up until breakfast.

7:45 rolled around and there she was, still half-asleep and standing in the doorway.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Varian teased.

"Ha _ha_," she returned bitterly, slumping into the kitchen, "what's for breakfast?"

"I love you too, Cassie."

She shot him a glare and he cowered slightly.

"Scrambled eggs and orange juice. It's almost ready, don't worry."

"Good," she said, "I'm gonna go do my bathroom stuff..."

"Hey!" Varian exclaimed, "no way are you going anywhere until you've _at least_ said good morning."

Cass sighed, rolling her eyes. But there was something kind and teasing in that eye roll.

She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. "Good morning, Varian."

"That's more like it. Now you can go."

She laughed, letting go and hurrying off to finish getting ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha... Cass is NOT a morning person. LOL  
But yeah, I had a lot of fun writing this one!!!


	17. Day Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, so... I had a lot of fun writing this, but it's not terribly cuddly? Like, slight cuddling. Mostly conversation. LOL

**Day Sixteen: Cuddling**

_This fluff... This is the type of thing I signed up for._

* * *

"Cassie?"

Cassandra looked up from her book, though she knew the exact image that she would come across when she looked over at her husband: Varian, frowning, his arms crossed as he leaned on the bedroom doorframe. His expression would be equal parts concerned and frustrated. After all, this wasn't the first time in the past few months that she had snuck out of their bedroom in order to sit on their living room couch.

"Hey."

Varian smiled softly, moving to sit next to her. "Uncomfortable again?"

Cass nodded a little. "Yeah."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him. She found comfort near him, great comfort. No, he couldn't change the inner discomfort that she felt thanks to their unborn child, but still... Varian helped bring calm to just about any storm that came.

"I just... Can't find a comfortable enough way to sleep," Cass said after a moment or two, "and I don't want to wake you with my tossing and turning. So... I just come out here until I'm too exhausted to stay awake."

Varian pressed a kiss to her forehead. "There's no need for that, Cassie. Listen, if you can't sleep... Wake me up. I'm more than willing to help you as best I can."

She met his gaze and smiled. "Thank you."

"I wanna do whatever you want me to. You want me to cuddle you I will. You want me to worship you? Tell you where you want me and I'm there."

Cassandra chuckled. "Really. Thank you."

And then she paused. "You know, a cuddle actually sounds good right about now."

Varian grinned and opened his arms to her. Cass leaned in, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed the top of her head.

He was warmth and safety, Cass decided. He was kindness and love. He was... He was everything good in this world. And she was lucky to have him. Their kid would be lucky to get to call him their father.

With those thoughts, Cass smiled softly. And then she fell asleep, feeling safe in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used an actual quote from a roleplay I have going with MikeAllenZ. It's actually one of two roleplays I'm in right now, and I literally searched through the one (several months' worth!!!) only to realize the quote came from the other RP. Whoops.


	18. Day Seventeen

**Day Seventeen: <strike>Seance/Ghost Hunt</strike>**

_A.K.A. The second out of three times that Kai is going to change the prompt for the sake of the fact that she has no clue how to write for the actual prompt.  
_

* * *

Cassandra looked around at her friends, smiling. "Alright. Who's up next?"

Varian shyly raised his hand. "I-- I guess I'll go."

Rapunzel clapped her hands excitedly. "Ooh, ooh! I think I've got a good one."

"Alright, Raps," Cass grinned, "shoot."

"Varian: truth or dare?"

Varian thought for a moment. "Okay. Umm... Dare."

"I dare you to give Cassandra a big hug."

"I thought that dares were supposed to be more... _Daring?_ Like, jumping out of the window, or sing at the top of my lungs until it's my next turn?"

Cassandra snorted. "Alright, then... We can count that as a forfeit."

"No, no, no!" Varian said, quickly backpedaling, "fine. I'll do it."

He leaned over and gave her an awkward side-hug.

"Aww, c'mon, Varian!" Rapunzel cried, "that's not a hug!"

Varian flushed slightly. He wasn't terribly good at physical affection-- having been robbed of it himself-- especially not with girls. _Especially_ not with Cassandra.

Cass chuckled, extending her arms. "Come on. Bring it in."

Varian hesitated before going in for a full-on hug. It felt nice, secure... He never wanted to leave.

Rapunzel grinned to herself, fighting the urge to clap her hands together.

Finally, the two separated.

Varian chuckled awkwardly. "Okay. Heh. Who... Who's next?" 


	19. Day Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy hiatus, everyone!
> 
> This is mainly "Varian messed up making something simple, so Cass shows him how to do it properly." LOL

**Day Eighteen: Cooking/Baking a Festive Treat**

* * *

Cassandra came home to the smell of something burning. It wasn't a terribly uncommon smell, sadly enough, but it still made her groan. Just _once,_ she would like to come home like a normal woman, to come home to Varian being a normal man who hadn't burned something.

"Varian?"

"Hey, Cassie," came his response, "I'm in the kitchen."

The kitchen? Well, that seemed _slightly_ more promising. She sniffed the air. Yep. That was definitely food of some sort, though the burning scent threw off just _what_ kind of food it was.

She entered the kitchen, and was relieved to see that nothing _terrible_ had gone down. In fact, the burning smell seemed to be contained to the area the oven.

"Varian?" she said again, "what happened this time?"

Varian laughed awkwardly. "Heh. I... I was, um, trying to make caramel apples. And... I might've burned the caramel?"

Cass's nose crinkled. "You burned _caramel_? Varian..."

She went to hurriedly take it off and check to see if she could make out just _where_ he went wrong. She noticed two problems right away: one being that it was too hot, and another being that the timer was _still_ running, though it had definitely been on there for longer than two minutes.

"I know I promised not to use the oven unless you were around to supervise"-- a rule which Varian completely understood but still despised-- "but... I wanted to make something as a surprise. I was hoping to not fail, and to have them done by the time you were back. I'm sorry, Cassie.

Cass laughed a little before studying the pan that the caramel was in. "This... Might take some cleaning. But get out a bowl, and I can grab some more caramel. We can make it together."

Varian smiled gratefully, quickly pulling her in for a hug and a chaste kiss before running off to find a bowl. Cass leaned down to grab some more caramel and set it aside, waiting for Varian to return with the bowl. When he did, she put the caramel inside, making sure that he was paying attention as she did so. And as she turned down the temperature significantly. And when she set the oven timer to two minutes.

"Now, while that's going," she said, "we can work on de-stemming the apples and putting those little sticks in them."

This part honestly terrified her. Not for her sake, but for Varian's. She still wasn't sure if she could (or _should_) trust him with even the smallest, least sharp of knives... But the other job required strength.

Neither of those things seemed right up Varian's alley.

"Cassie," he said, chuckling a little, "Ruddiger and I already worked on that."

"Ruddiger? You really want _raccoon hair_ all over them?"

"I washed them all off as thoroughly as one can. They practically _shine._"

Cass sighed. "Alright. I'm going to have to trust you on this one."

Varian smirked. "Good." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but I always imagined that Varian made great food, but it always tends to, you know... BURN. Whereas Cass is consistent in the no-burning thing, but her food is only decent-tasting, if not horrible.


	20. Day Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CORNHOLE!!! LOL
> 
> Though... Not the best written description of the game? Or the best written piece that I have done for this story? Sorry?

**Day Nineteen: Competing Together Against Another Couple or Family Members in a Seasonal Event**

_I don't know just how 'seasonal' cornhole is-- we play it any season, really-- so...  
Also, I don't know if there's, like, a worldwide set of rules for the game. All I know is how we play it in my family._

* * *

Varian tossed the beanbag into the air, quickly catching it as it made its arc back towards him. "Hmm... Not terribly hefty. It should be pretty easy for me to throw, unless the wind suddenly starts coming from _that_ direction..."

He turned to point but was immediately interrupted by Cassandra's voice.

"Varian, babe?" she asked, "could you just... You know. _Throw_ _it?"_

This was potentially the shot to win them the game, if Varian just made it into the hole and Eugene didn't cancel any of the points out. God, Varian had already made a few points, so Cass didn't quite understand why he was doing this _now._ As much as she appreciated his ability to calculate possibilities, there were definitely times where she wished that he could do it faster. At the very least, it would save them all some time.

Varian gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Cassie."

He wound up to toss the beanbag and threw it. It went right into the hole.

Cass and Varian exchanged a grin.

"Okay, Eugene, your turn."

Eugene wound up and tossed. It landed right on the board, canceling out one of the three points that Varian had just scored.

Rapunzel gave a cheer. "Alright! Here we go for another round."

Cass nodded solemnly. They were going to regret what they just did. She would make sure of it.


	21. Day Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha... I love sneaking pregnant Cass into my stories for no apparent reason.

**Day Twenty: Visiting a Pumpkin Patch and/or Carving Jack-o-Lanterns**

* * *

The crisp autumn breeze tore through the fields, gently tossing Cassandra's hair every which way. She really regretted not putting her hair up earlier. Even Varian's hair was going here and there and everywhere, but at least he had his trusty goggles to help hold them back, out of his face.

Regardless of the breeze and the slight chill-- something which Cass honestly didn't mind; she loved the cooler weather-- it was still a nice day to be outside.

"How about this one, Cassie?"

Varian was indicating a decent-sized pumpkin with his foot, grinning proudly. Cass covered her mouth to hide her laugh.

"Varian... That thing's hardly even the size of a _watermelon._ I'm thinking something more... Like this."

It was her turn to indicate a pumpkin, and she managed to find one that was two or three times bigger than Varian's selection.

"Cassie," Varian said, chuckling, "that thing's almost as big as _you._"

Cassandra rested a hand on her stomach, shooting a glare at Varian. "Hey. Careful what you say, or you're gonna be on the couch."

Varian busted up laughing, moving to wrap his arms around her. "I'm just teasing, Cassie. I love you."

"Love you too."

"Let's see what we can do about that pumpkin now, huh?"

* * *

They had to get some help getting the pumpkin out of the ground and onto the cart to wheel back home. But they finally made it back home, both of them and the pumpkin safe and intact.

It was time to carve.

Cassandra worked on the simple bits, cutting off the top and beginning to gut the pumpkin. Varian sat and drew some basic ideas on how to decorate the pumpkin. And then it was time for them to combine their talents.

"Okay, so... Final design ideas?"

Varian offered her the paper that he had drawn on. "These were my best ones."

Cass studied the design carefully and smiled when she saw one that she really liked. "I vote we do that one. It's very simple, but... I like it a lot."

Varian smiled softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Alright. That one it is."

* * *

That Halloween, trick-or-treaters were welcomed to Varian and Cassandra's house by a huge pumpkin out front, lit from the inside by a candle. The initials of the young couple were carved into the pumpkin, next to several small hearts.

It was a very welcoming sight indeed.


	22. Days Twenty-One and Twenty-Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha... Literally did almost a full weeks' worth of writing in one freaking night. Sorry for the mega-bomb format here, and sorry that some of these are definitely better-written than others.

**Days Twenty-One and Twenty-Two: Breaking Up/Making Up**

_Here's one of the not-so-better ones. Sorry._

* * *

"Varian..."

The young alchemist frowned. "Cassie, please. At least... Reconsider this."

Cassandra shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, Varian, but Corona needs me."

Varian sighed, his shoulders sagging. His heart felt heavy, but still...

"I'm sorry, Cassie. But... I can't."

Cass turned to face Varian, but he had focused his gaze somewhere outside the window. Away from her.

"I... I can't be with someone who values her kingdom far more than she values those who love her. More than she values _herself._"

He had seen soldiers returning from battle, broken and battered and bruised. Heck, some didn't even return at _all._ Not alive, at least.

He didn't want to see any of that happening to Cass, especially not when she could have listened to him and stayed. Kept herself safe and whole. He didn't want anything to ever happen to her.

"Varian?" she asked, "what... What exactly are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is... Don't expect me to be here when you come back. I love you too much to let you do this to yourself."

Cass frowned. "I love you, too. But..."

Varian shook his head. He knew what she was going to say. And he didn't want to hear it.

He turned to leave the room, pausing before turning to quickly kiss her cheek.

"Good-bye, Cassie."

* * *

The caravan that shuttled soldiers to and from Corona to the area infested with war was in sight. But the sight of it didn't send a thrill through Cassandra's body, as it often did. Her mind was trained on what had just gone down between her and Varian.

A lot of the soldiers had their wives and children with them, ready to say farewell and to make promises to come home soon... And safely.

Watching them made her think of what she was leaving behind.

Varian was the best thing to have happened to her. _Ever._

Was this worth throwing away the best thing in her life?

Just as she thought this, she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Cassie!"

Cassandra turned to face the source of the voice. "... Varian."

When he reached her, Varian immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Cassie... I'm so sorry. I... I didn't mean it."

Cassandra could sense just how close he was to breaking down. "Var... Hey."

She kissed him gently and he smiled weakly.

"Heh. I'm... Really gonna miss that."

Cass shook her head a little. "I don't think so."

Varian frowned and Cass laughed.

"I've... I've changed my mind," she said softly, "I don't want to lose you, Varian. Not if I can help it."

Varian grinned. "... Really?"

Cassandra nodded. "Really."

Varian cupped her face in his hands gently before pulling her in for a long, passionate kiss. And she obliged.


	23. Day Twenty-Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time three that Kai slightly changed the prompt to fit what she knows.  
a.k.a. Something heavily inspired by "The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals." LOL

**Day Twenty-Three: Zombie Apocalypse**

* * *

Cassandra peeked out of the blinds, shuddering at the sight that greeted her.

The streets of Corona were filled with people, as was custom. But... All the citizens had a song and dance to share with the world. Even Lady Crowley and Nigel were getting in on it.

"... Cassandra?"

Cass jumped, drawing her sword and turning to face the source of the voice. She was _not _expecting to find a terrified-looking alchemist on the other end.

"Varian," she said, calming down a little before realizing, "how can I know you haven't been infected?"

"Re-_lax,_ Cassie," he snorted, "if I _was_ infected-- which I'm not-- don't you think that I'd be a part of the large group number going on down there?"

He brought a point.

"So...?"

He sighed, taking off his goggles and dropping them onto the desk. "No dice. I tried everything I possibly could, Cassie, but... Nothing seems to be working."

Cassandra frowned. That couldn't be good, none of Varian's chemical solutions working.

"Cassie, I hate to say this, but... I think we should get out of here while we still can. I mean, nothing's working, and as far as I'm aware... This isn't something that's just going to wear off with time. If we stay, they'll get us, too. Our... Our best bet is to leave them all behind."

"I've been in a lot of weird situations before, Varian," Cass retorted, "and there's _always _been a way to fix it. A special egg, or a spinning top, or..."

"Cassie," he said solemnly, putting his hands on her shoulders, "this isn't turning into a bird or a kid. It's not even _magic, _as you claimed those experiences were. This is hardcore science, something straight out of science fiction. And if I learned one thing from reading things like that... It's to leave while you can."

"But..."

Varian looked at her sadly. "I have friends and family down there, too. But... We've got to leave them behind. Worry about ourselves. Cassandra, we have to try and survive."

Cassandra frowned, reaching out to run her fingers along the glass of the window. "I'm sorry, Dad."

And then she went to quickly grab anything she thought that she'd need before allowing Varian to lead her away.

Away from this disaster. Away from doom.

Away from home.


	24. Day Twenty-Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha... So I decided that I'd give y'all a sneak peek at the epilogue for "Sudden Impact." It's seven pages of multimedia template on my phone, and it takes up a lot of space, so I'm just gonna put it here. LOL  
(Includes LOTS of soft Cap... Oops!)
> 
> **Yep. By "sneak peek," I mean... The entire freaking thing. Sorry.**  
**I also completely skip over the entire wedding here... Just before and after. LOL**

**Day Twenty-Four: Getting Married**

_I hope you guys enjoy this sneak peek at the epilogue to Sudden Impact. I don't know how long it'll take to actually get there in the story, so... Here we are with an early look.  
**If y'all are close followers of the story, then there is a slight spoiler here... Just slight, though. It pertains to one of the two main plot points thus far in the story. So... Read at your own discretion, I guess.**_

* * *

Rapunzel shook her head. "The veil just... It doesn't do it for me. It's not _you,_ Cass."

Cassandra smirked. "I finally get you to see some sense! Granted, there's literally only ten minutes until my wedding..."

"Aww, c'mon," Debra chimed in, "you look _amazing_ in that veil, Cass."

All the other ladies agree. Even Tess, who didn't necessarily care about appearance, nodded in agreement.

"Then what seems to be the problem?"

"She doesn't have much jewelry on," Jane commented, "just the engagement ring."

Rapunzel's eyes lit up suddenly. "I'll be right back!"

With that, she dashed out of the room.

"You're seriously okay that I'm just... Leaving you with her?" Cass asked Tess, smirking a little, "there are times where she can be quite a handful."

Tess smiled at the bride. "I should be fine. I studied under the best, after all."

Cass smiled, too. "Alright. C'mere."

Tess crossed the room, wrapping her arms around her mentor.

Rapunzel re-entered the room that very moment, carrying in her hands...

"Varian's necklace," Cassandra murmured softly, reaching out to take it from the princess, "I... I thought I'd lost it for good."

Rapunzel smiled sheepishly. "When you disappeared off the side of Mount Saison, I... May or may not have taken it. In my defense, it was the only belonging you had that didn't look like it could hurt me terribly. Even then, I had my doubts."

Cassandra laughed, holding up the necklace for Tess to help her with. "Water under the bridge, Raps. I'm just glad to see it again. I know Varian will be, too."

There was a knock at the door just then. Cass's dad. Ethel opened the door for him, waiting until he was in the room before leading Jane and Debra outside.

Tess and Rapunzel did a quick once-over of Cass, the latter reaching to readjust the veil a little before leaving the bride and her father alone for a moment or two before the wedding.

Cass stood up to face her father, smoothing out the front of her dress. "So... How do I look?"

He _had_ to chuckle. He had never expected to hear that question come out of his daughter's mouth, _ever_.

"Dad?"

He smiled softly, reaching to brush some hair out of her face. "You look _beautiful, _Cassandra, as always. And I'm not just saying that because you're my daughter."

She chuckled a little, though in all honesty, she was on the verge of tears. In the span of just a few short years, all that she had ever known-- all that she had ever _stood for_\-- had changed and been tested. The long-lost princess had returned, the rocks had shown up and invaded, they had faced foes of all shapes and sizes... And this somehow seemed to be the crown jewel of it all: her father, the only family she had ever known, handing her off to her new life. Her new family.

Varian.

"Thanks," she managed after a moment, "that... It really means a lot to me."

The captain stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her closer than he'd held her in several years. Cass didn't fight him. Instead, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face in his shoulder. She felt almost like a six-year-old again, clinging desperately to her father.

She mentally chided herself for this sudden display of emotion. She had _never_ been this emotional and clingy, not even when she had been a young child. And why all the emotion was showing _now_... Life held such great mysteries, she supposed.

They remained there for another minute or so until there was yet another knock at the door.

Cass groaned. "That'd be our cue."

"Then let's go," the captain said with a smile, "we don't want to keep Varian waiting long."

"No," Cass agreed with a smirk, "no, we don't."

* * *

Varian was nervous. Despite the fact that he had been anticipating this day for the past ten months now, it was still hard to believe that... This was it. He was actually getting married to Cassandra. And he was unsure of whether or not he was actually _ready_ for this.

Quirin had pulled him aside earlier, telling him that he had nothing to worry about and verbally outlining the ceremony before reminding his son that it _was_ essentially _just_ a ceremony and that Varian had nothing to worry about. But he was nervous nonetheless.

This was the gateway to his future, the beginning of a wide, vast period known simply as What's to Come. He would be a husband-- and the best one that he possibly could be for Cass-- and she would be his wife. They would build a home together, and a future...

_Future._ What a terrifying, ominous word.

"Kid," Eugene hissed, "you're doing it again."

Varian's face flushed a little as he realized that he was indeed running his hands... Basically everywhere. His hair. His face. His outfit. _Everywhere._ He took a deep breath in and forced his hands to steady, resting at his side like they should.

_How much longer?_

The thought had just barely crossed his mind when the guests all went silent and turned to face the end of the aisle. Varian looked up, the sudden silence having taken him by surprise.

And there she was.

Varian could feel his breath catch in his throat. Not that he wouldn't say this about any other day, but... Cassandra looked absolutely _stunning._

Despite the fact that it was mid-June, her dress had long sleeves made completely of lace that had likely been collected somewhere along the Spice Road. The dress itself had a white silk bodice that went down to her waist. From there, a long, full skirt trailed down to her feet. Lace on top of silk. Something about the dress seemed familiar to Varian, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

And... Was that...? Was that the necklace that he had made for her all those years ago?

"She still has that?" he murmured quietly to himself, a small smile forming, "after... After all these years?"

Cass, who had been focusing on how to walk-- she often wore a dress as a lady-in-waiting, but that skirt was nowhere near as full as this one was-- ventured a glance up to the other end of the aisle.

There was something about the way that Varian was looking at her, the soft smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. Something about those minute details... It soothed her. She would never admit to being nervous-- not like that, at least-- but still, she was definitely in need of the calm and comfort that Varian constantly brought to her.

The shy smile that she offered Varian was enough to melt his heart.

Slowly, step by step, Cassandra made her way down the aisle, towards him, arm-in-arm with her father. Once she had reached the front of the small chapel, her father took her hand and placed it in Varian's, kissing her cheek before shooting a warning glance at his soon-to-be son-in-law.

And then he took his seat near the front, which the minister took as a sign to commence with the ceremony.

* * *

Varian looked across the room at his wife-- how he loved getting to call her that!-- and smiled softly. She was busy talking with the other ladies, including Tess. Even _more_ surprising to him, though: she seemed to be enjoying herself while making conversation with them. That was highly unnatural for her, but hey... Varian took each little victory that he could get when he could get it.

"You'd better watch out for her," a voice said suddenly, "she's a feisty one, that Cass."

Varian turned to see Ethel seated right next to him, arms crossed over her chest and an eyebrow raised as if in challenge.

"While that _is_ true," he began carefully, trying to think out his words, "I trust her to be able to keep herself safe. Cass usually knows what she's doing."

It was part of what drew him to Cass in the first place: her inner fire.

Ethel smiled strangely. "You know, Cassandra never used to let her guard down. Ever."

Varian raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"

"Ever since _you_ came into the picture, she's changed. Quite a bit, if you ask me."

"Everyone changes from day to day," Varian countered, "after all, I'm not the same man that I was when she came into _my_ picture. I'm not even who I was a few months ago, and neither is she. I'd suspect the same of you, Ethel."

Varian hardly knew Ethel that well, actually. All he knew of her was what Cass had said about her. The same went for the other ladies of the court. He knew their names and faces, but everything else he knew was simple word of mouth from his wife.

"Either way, we're gonna miss her. That Tess, she seems like a nice girl, but... She ain't Cass."

Varian smiled softly, glancing again at Cassandra. "No, she's not. Cass is completely one of a kind."

_And she's mine._

* * *

The sound of a violin tuning up was enough to hush the crowd. All eyes turned to the front, where a few of Hook Hand's musician friends-- and, of course, Hook Hand himself-- were all situated comfortably with their instruments, ready to begin playing.

"If we could have the bride and her father take the floor?"

The captain stood from his seat, offering Cassandra his hand. She took it and allowed him to lead her to the center of the dance floor. The music began to play-- a soft, slow waltz-- and the captain of the guard began to lead his daughter through the steps.

"I still can't believe this," he whispered, "my little girl's all grown up and married."

Cass nodded simply. If she said anything, she felt that she'd break down crying in front of everyone. And crying was _not_ her thing.

She knew that crying at weddings was fairly commonplace, but she knew that if _she_ broke down, her father would break down too. And if _he_ broke down... It could go one of two ways. Either everyone would tease both of them about this for years to come, or everyone would start crying too... And _then_ tease the captain and lord commandress about it.

In short, it was far too busy for either of them to let their emotions show. Maybe in the future, for another occasion, something more quiet and private. If she and Varian decided to expand their family or something like that. Maybe _then_ she would allow herself to cry. But not now, not here in public.

"To think that, two years ago..."-- his voice caught, as if _he_ was fighting not to cry-- "to think that I thought I'd lost you for good... And now, here we are."

Cass bit her lip. Her father _never_ spoke about that week or so when he had thought that she was a goner. Even then, she knew that it had been a rough time for him. She was all that he had... And he had been the same for her, too, for many years.

Suddenly, all she wanted to do was to stop right where she was and simply cling to her father as she had done just before the ceremony began. But she couldn't.

Instead, she whispered: "I love you, Dad."

The song finished, and the captain pulled his daughter in closely, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love you too, Cassandra."

* * *

The rest of the reception came and went, all of it a huge blur in both Cassandra and Varian's minds. Too many people, too many thoughts and feelings, too much to register... Their minds, having sensed how overwhelming their surroundings were, seemed to have turned on their autopilot, allowing time to pass with hardly a blink of the eye.

Because, next thing they knew, the newlyweds were in the carriage that Rapunzel had commissioned to drive them to their honeymoon destination... The other side of Mount Saison. And they were completely alone for the first time in what seemed like _ages._

Varian looked at his wife, smiling. "Would you look at that? We just survived our own wedding reception."

Cass let out a derisive snort. "Shocking how that sounds far more impressive than 'I survived a flaming arrow and a fall off the side of Mount Saison.'"

"Cassie," he said softly, taking her hand in his, "everything you do is impressive."

"Nobody's said that to me before. No guy, at least."

Varian grinned. "But just how many of those guys were buff, masculine gods incarnate?"

She laughed softly. "Touche."

He squeezed her hand, grin never fading. "Of course I do."

As they spoke, Cassandra watched as the skyline of Corona-- her _home_\-- faded into the distance. Many years had passed since she had first seen this scene in reverse, seated comfortably on her father's lap. She had never expected to see such a moment as this.

They'd be back in Corona, of course, once the honeymoon was over. Still, though, it didn't feel terribly natural for her to leave her home. Yes, she had been away several times in the past... But she was far more used to the return journey. To coming back home.

Varian squeezed her hand again, seeming to sense her sudden unease. Cass looked at him and smiled softly.

It would be okay. She would be okay. In fact, so long as she and Varian had each other, everything would be okay. She had to trust that.

The future was waiting, and she was excited to see what all was in store.


	25. Day Twenty-Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one might be my favorite piece for this entire month. I had so much fun writing it...

**Day Twenty-Five: Celebrating Each Other's Birthdays**

* * *

_March 24_

Varian woke up to warmth, as he did every morning. Cassandra was huddled against him as she slept. He smiled to himself, wrapping a loose arm around her. This was his absolute favorite way to start the day, hands-down. He loved that his wife was the first thing that he got to see and feel and think of each and every morning.

Heck, he loved that she was his _wife._

A bit of hair had fallen into Cassandra's face, and Varian reached to gently brush it aside before kissing her forehead.

She smiled sleepily. "Morning, Var. Happy birthday."

He pouted. "For _once,_ I would like to wake up and beat you to the punch."

"What _punch_?" she snorted, "wishing yourself a happy birthday?"

"I would like the opportunity to eagerly remind you what special day it is, yes."

"How about we _don't_ do that," she said slowly, "I mean, we'll probably have enough of that on our hands in the future, if we do end up having kids."

At those words, Varian paused. He had wanted children for just about forever, and he had finally managed to somehow coerce Cass into wanting them, too.

She claimed to be impartial to the idea, but the sheer amount of times that she had made small comments like this was enough to make Varian think otherwise.

"Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly, sitting up quickly, "I got you something for your birthday. Just give me a sec..."

She leaned down, fumbling for something under the bed. She finally found what she was looking for and pulled it up, handing it over to Varian. It was a simple box which he took from her and began to open. Inside were several glass beakers and vials.

"Cassie..."

"I know you like that one glassblower," she hurried to explain herself, "and... I kind of had to make up for the one night when I had a little too much to drink and..."

Varian laughed heartily, remembering that night all too well. "Thank you, Cass."

He set down the vial he had been examining in order to wrap his arms around her. When he let go, Cass leaned back over the edge, in search of something else. When she resurfaced this time, she held a medium-sized frame in her hands.

"... You also said that you'd like to start decorating the walls in your lab, so I thought you could start here."

She and Rapunzel had spent what seemed like _ages _finding and testing out different materials, seeing how they would hold up against different explosions. It had been fun at first but quickly turned tedious... But Cass felt that it was worth it.

She handed the frame over to Varian, and he flipped it over in his hands. The frame held a painting of the two of them on their wedding day, after the ceremony had taken place. While there were others in the picture, only the newlyweds were in focus. Cassandra was ducking her head, one hand covering her mouth as she laughed at something that Varian had said. Varian was smiling softly as he watched her.

He was wearing that same smile now.

"Oh, Cassie..."

She smiled back. "Happy birthday, Varian. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

_November 21_

Cassandra had been unable to get any sleep the night before. When Varian had woken up early and left her side, she had been completely aware. She had also been aware of the various crashes and clangs and yells and chitters that came from the kitchen. But she was far too tired to do anything about it.

One more month, and she would be free of this physical discomfort... Though she knew she would be trading it for an infant who would likely keep her up for longer than this with their screaming and wailing...

The smell of bacon and eggs hit her nose, causing her to smile. She sat up, using her huge pile of accumulated pillows to prop herself up better.

The door swung open suddenly, and there stood Varian, a plate in one hand and a cup of orange juice in the other. "Morning, Cassie."

He set the items down on her nightstand before leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Happy birthday, milady."

She smiled tiredly. "Morning. Thanks."

Varian grabbed the plate and handed it to her. She took it eagerly, beginning to eat. Varian sat on the edge of the bed, waiting until she had finished with her meal.

And then he smiled softly, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a small leatherbound notebook. "It's not much, but... Every day since we began dating, I wrote a letter to you. Thus far, I've filled... Probably twenty of these? And... I think it's time you got to read them."

Cass studied the notebook before looking up at her husband, smirking. "Just how many of these are literally just you gushing on and on about me?"

He shrugged. "No idea. Heck, I don't even know which notebook this is, so..."

Cass opened it to the first page. "Dearest Cassie - the very first thing that I saw when I woke up this morning was you. That led to the realization... You're my _wife_ now. We're _married._ And Cassie, I have never been happier..."

Varian smiled softly at her, taking her hand in his. "I'll get the others out for you, too. You can read them on your own time."

Cassandra smiled back, eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you, Varian."

"Anytime... Milady."


	26. Day Twenty-Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This kind of turned into only one of them playing a prank on the other one. And the other one getting scared and making the first one promise not to do anything of the sort ever again.  
That's literally all it is. LOL

**Day Twenty-Six: Playing a Prank Together or On Each Other**

* * *

The sound of an explosion didn't surprise Cassandra anymore. She knew that her husband was prone to more... Volatile experiments, and she had slowly gotten used to the sounds of accidental destruction.

What surprised her was the sudden silence that came after. Usually Varian would call out, letting her know that he was okay.

But now... _Nothing._

"Varian?"

Cass stood up slowly, unsurely. When the silence remained, she began to panic.

She ran into Varian's lab, throwing the door open. She was greeted with bright pink goop everywhere, and Ruddiger... But no Varian.

"What in the worl--?"

Before the last part of that sentence left her mouth, she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist from behind.

Her immediate response? Turn around and slap him. _Hard._

"Okay... _Ow_."

Varian withdrew his hands, checking to ensure that he wasn't bleeding or anything from the impact.

Cass crossed her arms over her chest. "What the heck was that for?!"

Varian grinned, but that died almost as soon as he saw the look on her face. "... Sorry?"

"You should be!" she scolded him, "that was _not_ okay, Var! You... You _scared_ me."

Varian's gaze softened as he realized just what he had done to his wife. He had nearly given her a heart attack, just so he could try and get her good like she often did to him.

"Cassie... I'm so..."

He was interrupted by Cass, who threw her arms around him. "Don't you _ever _do that again, okay? I... I thought I'd lost you."

Varian wrapped his arms around her in response. "Of course, Cassie. I'm sorry."

"I love you, Varian."

He gently kissed the top of her head. "Love you too, Cassie."


	27. Day Twenty-Seven

**Day Twenty-Seven: Campfire Stories**

* * *

"Why do they even call this area 'Dorothy's Hill,' anyway?" Varian asked, "I mean, they could've named it _anything _in the book, but... They call it _Dorothy's Hill?!"_

Cassandra grinned wickedly. "I was hoping you'd ask that. There's a reason behind the naming, that's for sure. Though... Maybe I shouldn't."

Varian raised an eyebrow. "Aww, c'mon, Cassie. Just tell me."

Cass smirked. "Alright, then. You see that ruined house over there?"

Varian's gaze followed where Cassandra's finger was pointing. Indeed, there was an old, dilapidated, burned-out house sitting just on the edge of the woods. How had he not realized that it was there earlier?

"That house belonged to a woman named--"

"Let me guess," he cut in, "Dorothy."

Cass rolled her eyes. "Yes. Now let me tell the story that _you _asked to hear."

"Of course. Sorry."

"Dorothy was the only human who lived in that house. Her only companion was her beloved dog, George."

Varian scooted in closer, intrigued. Cass laughed and continued.

"They lived together at the top of this hill, secluded from the rest of the world. Dorothy would travel down the hill once every two weeks or so in order to restock on supplies, but otherwise kept away from human interaction. As long as she had George, she reasoned, she would be perfectly fine. One day, though, Dorothy heard the sound of hoofbeats. Hundreds of horses were making their way through the valley down below, by the sounds of it. She stood in her doorway to listen and see if she could catch a glimpse of what was happening down there. She was so curious that she completely forgot to close the door behind her as she stepped outside. In fact, she didn't even realize the fact until she felt George brushing against her leg as he ran past her and began heading down the hill."

Varian shook his head. "Nuh-uh."

Cass simply continued on. "Dorothy startled out of her daze just then and began running after him. Midway down the hill, she twisted her ankle badly. But that didn't stop her from running after George. When she got to the base of the hill, she saw her precious pooch. Having spotted the horses, George had gotten excited and run into the fray to try and get the attention of the horses. Dorothy, blind to the danger the situation presented, immediately dove in, hoping to rescue him..."

Varian shook his head again, more adamantly this time. "Nuh-uh. This story does _not_ end with her being _trampled to death_ by those horses."

"But it does," Cass remarked, "bad ankles don't make it easy to escape stampedes, Varian."

"... And George?"

"They got George too."

Varian sighed, standing up. "Screw it. I'm going to bed."

He began heading towards the tent, more disturbed by the story than he was letting on.

"Hey, Var?"

He paused, turning to look at Cass. Expecting some sort of apology or verbal disclaimer about it all being a fragment of her imagination and nothing more.

Instead, she smirked. "It's nearly midnight. Listen closely; you should be able to hear it. The horses running through the valley. George's barks. Dorothy's screams."

Varian shuddered. "I... Alright, then. I'll... I'll see about that. Good night, Cassie."

"Night, Var."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The entire tale of Dorothy is actually an urban legend from the camp I went to in fourth grade. The campgrounds were several acres long, and right away, you see what they actually call Dorothy's Hill. All the fifth graders knew the story, and willingly told me right away. Later on during the week, on our hayless hayride (several people were allergic), we saw an old, dilapidated, burned-out house that the fifth graders told me had been Dorothy's. And then we went down the hill on foot.  
I just thought it'd be a fun tale for Cass to tell her scaredy-cat boyfriend. LOL


	28. Day Twenty-Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looking at the list last night, I noticed for the first time that... There's no official day twenty-eight OR day twenty-nine. So... I decided I'd post some unused drafts of mine today and tomorrow.  
Today's is short and sweet, mainly just playful banter between these two dorks. LOL

**Day Twenty-Eight: Free Day #1**

_Set in my Corona Life AU, five years after Corona High takes place._

* * *

"Cassandra?"

Varian's voice startled Cass, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor underneath the bathroom sink, frowning as she studied whatever was on her tablet's screen. She jumped a little, thankfully managing to _not_ drop the tablet, but still knocking her head on the wall behind her nonetheless.

"My _gosh,_ Cassie," he chided her with a smirk, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, grinning, "you just took me by surprise, is all."

He knelt down a little, crawling under the sink so that he could sit next to her. When he did this, Cass shut the tablet off, kind of leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder.

"You know, you're home early."

He took her hand in his, running his thumb absentmindedly over the back of it. "Apparently, today was a testing day for the juniors, so nobody else was needed."

"And _whose _fault was it that you went anyways?"

He grinned sheepishly and shrugged, letting out an awkward chuckle as his cheeks stained pink. Cass laughed a little, too, shaking her head in mock disbelief.

"You fell for the same trick for the third time, didn't you?"

Varian nodded his head. "Yeah... Craig and Jonah are good at that one."

"Fool you once, shame on them," Cass began to recite, "fool you twice, shame on you. But fool you _three times..._"

Varian's expression quickly grew into an extremely smug smirk. "Fool me thrice, shame on _you._"

"Me?!" Cassandra's voice went up about three octaves in her disbelief, "why me?!"

"Only 'cause you're supposed to be the sensible one in this marriage, the one who's _supposed_ to keep the other one-- _me_\-- from doing something stupid."

Cassandra sighed in exasperation. "Fine. Fool you once, shame on them. Fool you twice, shame on you. Fool you thrice, shame on me."

Varian's grin was bright and triumphant. "That's the spirit, Cassie!"


	29. Day Twenty-Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh... I had an idea of what I was going to post but then realized it was more of a... Private draft, I suppose? Something I want to keep to myself. So I found one of those OTP prompt generator websites and went through it for a good hour until I found one I liked. (I liked a lot of them, actually, but I didn't feel up to writing half of them at the moment...)

**Day Twenty-Nine: Free Day #2**

* * *

It was a nice evening. Nice enough that Cassandra decided to sleep with the window open. She enjoyed the gentle chill in the air.

_Splat!_

Cass sat up straight in her bed, looking around the room for whatever could've caused the noise. Her eyes landed on the ruins of... Was that a _snowball?_ She groaned, getting up and heading to the window just as another snowball came sailing through, hitting her square in the chest.

"Hey!" she yelled, leaning out the window, "what the heck?!"

She was greeted with the sight of a young teenaged boy standing in the snow, holding another snowball in his hands. "Hey, Cassie!"

Cass groaned. "Varian... It's the middle of the night, snow is cold and wet, and my window is wide open here."

"... Sorry. I just... Didn't have any better way to get your attention."

"Get my attention?" Cass asked, incredulous, "why would you need to get my attention? Like I just said, it's _the middle of the night._"

"I... There's something cool that I wanted to show you?"

He wasn't really lying; there _was _something he wanted to show her. He just felt a little guilty under Cass's judgmental glare.

"Fine. But can you give me a few minutes? I seem to recall a snowball being thrown right at my shirt."


	30. Day Thirty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna go through and use the American keyboard on my phone later... Have the international keyboard on my ChromeBook...

**Day Thirty: With Their Kids at a Carnival/State Fair**

_Just gonna return to the festival from Day Two, just for a short scene here. LOL  
And yeah, itś mainly just daddy-daughter fluff here._

* * *

¨Daddy!" Trystan called, ¨dance with me?¨

Varian glanced over at Cassandra, who nodded.

¨Go on ahead, Var.¨

¨No, no!¨ Journey interrupted, tugging at Varian´s shirtsleeve, ¨dance with _me!¨_

Varian looked down at his other daughter, raising an eyebrow. ¨How about... The three of us dance together? You and me and Trystan?¨

Trystan came over to join the two of them, reaching out both her hands. Varian took one of her hands, taking Journey´s hand with his free hand.

Journey giggled. ¨Yeah!¨

Cassandra smiled to herself as she watched her husband begin dancing with their little girls. She was blessed to have him in her life, and she loved getting to watch him interacting with their children.

¨Mommy?¨ Jax asked from his perch up on her shoulders, ¨dance with me?¨


	31. Day Thirty-One

**Day Thirty-One: Halloween Night**

_Happy spoopy day, guys!  
This is super short and sweet. Sowwy._

* * *

There was a knock at the door. Cassandra stood up, grabbing the bowl of candy from the coffee table as she headed towards the door.

¨Trick or treat!¨

Cass smiled at the young girl at the door, reaching to grab a small handful of candy to put in her bag. ¨There you go. Happy Halloween.¨

The little girl grinned before heading back towards where her family was standing.

Cass went to sit on the couch again, leaning against Varian´s shoulder as she pressed ´play´ on the remote once again. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. Cass had been unsure of how they were going to spend the evening, but this was a fairly decent way to spend it. She loved her time with Varian... She loved it very much.

And this was only their first Halloween as a couple, getting to spend some time together. She hoped that there would be many more for them.


End file.
